Explanations
by your1destiny
Summary: I'm formerly Hermione Jean Granger. We'll get to the formerly part a little later. I've been 'missing' for 8 years. None of my friends have seen me. I've only just come back for a Hogwarts Class Reunion. In which, I'll be explaining where I've been for the last 8 years, why I never wrote them, and why I'm married to Draco Malfoy. This should be fun.. Not.
1. Prologue

**AN: I don't own Harry Potter! If I did, this would be in the book! :P This is my first Dramione FanFic, so please Review, and I'll post the next chapter ASAP. Hopefully I get enough reviews to want to continue! Thanks!**

**AN: P.S. I won't say that I don't own Harry Potter again. It's too depressing! Haha**

Chapter 1

My name is formerly Hermione Jean Granger. We'll get to the formerly part a little bit later. I am one-third of the Golden Trio. This is the story I've written for myself. I'll tell you a little bit of before, and then I'll come to the present.

After the war, about two years after, things were okay. We were icons of the Wizarding world. The only real problem, was what everyone expected of Ron and I. Everyone said we were the perfect couple. They'd ask us when we planned to get married. But we weren't dating. At least not when they asked.

We had tried dating. Several times, actually. But it seemed to just be for publicity and family. It wasn't what we wanted. We loved each other, yes. Only as a brother and sister. Nothing more. As time went on, Ron suggested we marry, so we wouldn't be bothered anymore. I declined the offer, and he understood. I wasn't going to let us throw our lives away, just so the people in our lives could be satisfied. It was barbaric.

The next morning, I asked Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt for a long term assignment our of the country. He sent me to Russia for a few months. I lost contact with everyone. Everyone except Ginny. Why I was sent there to work on the Lucius Malfoy case, I'll never know. I'll probably be telling you more about this later. Why later, you may ask? I've been gone for a total of eight years. I'm only coming back for my Hogwarts class reunion. Boy, this should be fun! Not. I have a lot of explaining to do.. So, back to the present.


	2. Chapter 1: A Reunion

**AN: Make sure to tell me what you think! I love to see how I can improve! :) Thanks!**

Chapter 2

I'm sitting in one of the three carriages that will take me up to the castle. They wanted the Golden Trio to each be in their own carriage, for some odd reason. And I'm sure plenty of people don't expect me to show up. Well, they're in for a big surprise! I'm clutching my four month daughter, Cassiopeia, as tightly as possible, without hurting her of course, to keep from fidgeting.

Naturally, there would be a lot of press. There were always one or two at the reunions. This year's class contained the Golden Trio. One-third of which disappeared of the face of the planet for eight years. They would be bombarding me from the minute the door of the carriage opens. I just hope I can keep it together to tell them I wouldn't be answering questions.

Yet.

I look down at Cassiopeia. She's sleeping, so I can't see her chocolate brown eyes. My eyes. She has her father's hair though. Platinum blond, and straight as a board. She was the perfect mix of us both. Seeing her asleep calms me slightly. I can't help but think, _'She won't be sleeping for long!'_' I chuckle as the carriage stops. I step out of the carriage as the door is opened for me. I was wrong about the press. It was worse than I imagined.

"Miss Granger! Where have you been the last eight years!"

"Hermione! Who're you holding?"

"Is that your daughter?"

"Are you married?"

"What about Ron?"

Unfortunately, Cassi did wake up, and she started crying from all the noise. I frowned. I was hoping for the opposite reaction. I start rocking her, and it doesn't help. Because people are still asking my questions. Eventually, they all realize it's their fault she's crying, and they stop talking.

"I won't be answering questions at the moment. I am only here to see old friends and make new memories. You will get some answers just by observing the festivities tonight, but you will _definitely _won't be getting all of them."

With that said, I start rocking Cassi to get her to stop crying. Eventually, she only whimpers. Her eyes droop, and I can tell she is trying to fall asleep. I begin to hum softly, and she is soon fast asleep. I begin to walk through the crowd. Everyone was watching me now. Some were happy. Some were confused, they probably thought I had died. I wasn't paying much attention to them though. I am only looking for the three sets of eyes that I have longed to see most. Harry, Ginny, and Ron met me halfway as I walked towards them.

Ginny was the first to give me a hug. Thankfully, she was wary of Cassi. I don't know if I could take her waking up again. I hated all the eyes that had been on me while I rocked her to sleep. Everyone was back to their conversations with each other now.

Ron and Harry each gave me a side hug. They looked awkwardly at Cassi. Ginny noticed this. She already knew about Cassi, but we decided she would play it like she didn't. She started our conversation.

"Hermione! I've missed you so much! How have you been?"

"I've been good. I missed you all though!"

Ron said something next with a teasing smile on his face. "It looks like you've been good. Been a bit busy, have we?"

I couldn't help but grin. So far, things were going good. The question of the father would be the problem.

Harry glanced at Cassi. "What's her name?" He had relaxed a lot now.

"Cassiopeia. But I call her Cassi."

"She's a cutie! We should sit down! And when she wakes up, can I hold her?" Ginny replied.

"Thanks Gin. Of course you can hold her."

We walked over to an empty couch and sat down. We were silent for a moment. Ron was the first to speak.

"Er- Hermione?"

"Yes, Ronald?"

"I think you owe us an explanation."

"Not here. You're going to learn a lot tonight. Not nearly as much as I'll tell you later. But I need you to grasp some things. And, more importantly, accept them. Can I explain after the reunion? It will be easier. Besides, the walls have ears."

The three looked at each other. They all replied. "Okay."

"You're coming over to our house after this though."

"Alright. So tell me about how you all have been."

Harry put his arm around Ginny. "Well, you know that we got married right before you left. Not long after you left, we found out that Gin was pregnant. We have James Sirius, who is six years old. And Albus Severus is four, almost five. And Gin is two months along right now."

Hermione squealed. "Gin! You're gonna have another baby! This is so exciting! And I'll be around for this one!"

"You're staying here?" Ron asked, he sounded hopeful.

"Yes. We decided we needed to be around our friends again."

"We? Oh right! Who's your husband, 'Mione?" Ginny asked. She sounded like she didn't know who it was, but her eyes said a different story.

"Uh, yeah, about that-" She began, but she was cut off.

"I'm her husband." The voice came from behind them.

Hermione didn't need to turn around to know who it was. But her three friends did. She shied away from them as she waited for them to start screaming.

Her husband was none other than Draco Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 2: Disciplining the Children

**Chapter 3**

Harry, Ron, and Ginny all turned back around. Harry and Ron had their mouths gaping open. Ginny, however, was just fine. Smiling, even. I watch all the emotions play on the boys faces. Confusion. Sadness. Betrayal. Anger. Right as the start to say something, however, Professor McGonagall walks over to them. With her, she has with her three boys. Two of them look like brothers with black messy hair. The other has straight, blond hair, and I recognized the blond as my son. And I have a feeling that the two boys with him are Harry and Ginny's boys.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I believe these two boys are yours." McGonagall said, letting go of the black haired boys. Ginny looked at them very sternly before replying.

"Yes, Professor. May I ask what they did?"

"James and Albus, and along with Mr. Scorpius here, decided it best to pull a prank on Mr. Filch, who was watching over the children brought here tonight. I don't know exactly what they slipped him because there are so many problems with him, but I do know that they came from Weasely's Wizard Wheezes."

"I'm very sorry, Professor. We'll take them home immediately." she replied.

"That's quite alright. Now I must find this young boy's parents." McGonagall said. Before she could leave, I stopped her.

"That won't be necessary, Professor. I'm his mother."

Apparently I wasn't recognized, because she replied, "And who might you be?"

"Hermione Malfoy, but you know me as Hermione Granger."

McGonagall took a step back after I finished my sentence. She definitely looked bewildered.

"O- oh. Alright." she said, releasing Scorpius and walking away, with a confused look still plastered on her face.

Draco, trying to make light conversation, says, "Well, I believe that that's the first time I've ever heard McGonagall stutter." He chuckled. Ginny and I giggled at his comment, but Harry and Ron looked at him warily.

Then, as if on cue, the two sets of parents looked to their children very sternly. I was the first to speak to Scorpius.

"Scorp, you promised best behavior. And, specifically, no pranks. You know what this means, don't you?"

He looked to the ground and mumbled, "No flying for a week."

"Correct." Draco said. "And I think we should go back to Grandma Cissa's early."

Scorpius' face lit up at this. "Grandma Cissa's!"

"But-" Scorpius winced "-you'll be going straight to bed." Draco added. Scorpius became sad again, but he nodded

I turned to Ginny to tell her we'd have to meet up, but Harry spoke before I could open my mouth.

"'Mione, why don't you all come over for lunch tomorrow? Then you can explain everything, and the boys can play."

"Sounds good to me. Draco?" He only nodded, but he had a glazed look in his eyes. I frowned. Something was wrong.

"Okay, well, we'd better be going. See you tomorrow!" I said, and Draco picked up Scorpius and we walked away.

I couldn't get that frown out of my head. When we were out of earshot, I asked. "Why did you frown? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'll tell you after Scorp's in bed." I nodded.

We got to Malfoy Manor and put Scorpius and Cassi to bed. I decided not to press the matter too much. I grabbed a book and began reading it on our bed. I became so engrossed, I didn't realize he was even in the room until he sat on the bed next to me, which made me jump. H chuckled.

"Guilty conscience?"

"No. Just lost in a good book."

"Mmm. And how many times have you read this book, love?"

I grinned at him. "I've lost count."

We were silent for a while. Then the picture of his frown began to nag at me again.

"Draco?" I asked. He knew what I was waiting for. I must've gained some traits from all the books I read, because he can read me like a book.

He sighed. "I know I told you I was going to try and get along with Weasley and Potter, but I was just hoping I wouldn't be around for the explanation. I didn't want to 'fuel the fire,' so to speak, by being near them. Maybe you can convince them to let me take Scorp and their boys to Diagon Alley, or a park, or something. I really do want to get on their good side. Only for you, of course, but still. And Ginny is already okay with me, correct?"

"Yes. She already told me she'd help me calm Harry and Ron, if needed. And I'm certain she'll be okay with you getting the kids away from the house, in case there is any yelling. Which, if Ron's there, there will be yelling." I chuckled at the last sentence.

"But, I-" I cut him off with a kiss.

"Have I ever told you that you're cute when you're worried?" I smiled, knowing the reaction that would come. It would make him forget the luncheon tomorrow.

"Cute? Cute! You think I'm cute?" He hopped off the bed. "I'm not cute! I'm WAY past cute! Try Sexy Beast!" he struck a provocative pose and wiggled his eyebrows. I giggled.

"Come on, Sexy Beast. We've gotta long day tomorrow. We are gonna need some sleep. He got in to bed and put his arm around my waist. He was asleep in a matter minutes. I took a little longer. I fell asleep with a smile though. That's the first time since I found out about the reunion, and it felt really nice.

Tomorrow was DEFINITELY gonna be a long day.


	4. Chapter 3: Walburga Black's Portrait

**A/N: I forgot to mention in the first chapter that I own nothing but the plot. Unfortunately! I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner. I had school start on the 20th and I've been busy. I'll try to update more! PLEASE tell me how I can improve my writing skills. Thanks for all the reviews:)**

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Chapter 4

"Are we all ready?" I asked, picking up Cassi.

"Just about." I heard Draco call out.

"Mummy!" Scorpius yelled, running into the room.

"Scorpius!" I replied, grinning.

"Mummy, where are we going?"

"Do you remember the two boys you played with yesterday right before we left Mummy and Daddy's party?" I asked while putting Cassi in her car seat.

"We're gonna go see James and Albus!" Scorpius clapped his hands with glee.

"But," she heard Draco say, coming into the living room. "if you get into trouble, we're going to take away your broom even longer. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" He said giving a military salute, before giggling.

Draco scooped him up and headed towards the door, tickling him. "You silly little munchkin!"

We walked outside and got in our car. Apparating isn't exactly safe for babies, and I don't feel comfortable flooing, so we drive for the first year after the baby is born.

As we were driving, no one talked. Cassi was sleeping, and Scorpius was playing with a toy. I noticed that Draco was kind of jittery, and his hands were in a fist.

"Love, it's gonna be okay." I said, trying to comfort him. "You have nothing to worry about."

"The whole reason we decided to stay here was so you could reconnect with your friends. What it they can accept us?"

I chuckled. "We didn't only move here for them. We came for your mother and your friends. And Ariana will be moving here soon, remember? If they can't accept us, then that just sucks for them. And I don't think that Is possible anyway. Scorp loves their boys."

He relaxed a little as I pulled up to Grimmauld Place.

"We're there!" I said in a sing-song voice. Scorpius squealed with excitement. Draco chuckled nervously.

We got to the door, and I knocked. As soon as my hand left the door, it burst open.

"'Mione!" Ginny exclaimed ad gave me a hug. "Come in!"

After we were I the door, I took Cassi from Draco. Ginny knelt down to Scorpius' height and said, "Scorpius, James and Al are upstairs, do ya wanna go play with them 'til lunch is ready?" he nodded excitedly, but then looked at Draco for permission. Draco nodded, and Scorpius took off up the stairs.

Ginny stood up and looked at Draco. I could see she was trying to figure out how to greet him. Ginny is -and always has been- a hugger. But that might not be the best approach at the moment. Draco held out a hand for Ginny to shake, and she beamed.

"Draco! It's good to finally see you after all those letters that I've heard about you in." she said, taking the hand and shaking vigorously.

"Letters, huh? Is that how you knew about all this before last night, Gin?" came Harry's voice as he walked in from the kitchen.

Ginny and I chuckled. "Maybe.." she said.

Draco started to tense up again, so I changed subject.

"I see Sirius' mother is still hanging." I began.

Harry eyes the portrait warily. "Yeah. We asked 'Dromeda about the Black permanent sticking charm, and she told us there was a book that had all the spells and everything made 'specially by and for them, but she hadn't seen it since she was a child. That's the closest we've come to removing it. Let's go to another room so that he doesn't wake up."

"I'll see if my mother knows anything about that book. Maybe she has it." Draco said quietly.

Ginny beamed again, trying to let Draco loosen up. "Really? That would be awesome. Last year, Janes pulled the curtain open, thinking it was a window. I think it's the only time I've heard her not scream. She saw that it was only a child in the room, and started telling him all this crap about how we were blood traitors and she could teach him how to be very popular in the wizarding world by her standards. The best part was his reply. He said, 'My mummy and daddy are the best people ever. Daddy got rid of a very bad man, Moldywart.' and he closed the curtain and walked away. It was freaking hilarious."

I bust up laughing, and looked at Draco. He had an amused look on his face, and he was on the verge of laughter. Ginny was laughing as well, and Harry chuckled. Once we'd all stopped laughing, Harry spoke.

"That'd be great if she did. Thank you very much." he said, not looking at Draco. I smiled. Even Harry was trying.

Then Ron came in. He saw us all smiling, and looked like he might explode.


	5. Chapter 4: Receiving an Assignment

**AN: Once again, I own nothing. :( Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I hope to update more. I'm about halfway done with the next chapter. The flashbacks are italicized. Also, could you guys help me? I feel like I'm dragging it on, and I'm not sure if it's a good kind or a bad kind.. What do you think? Should I speed it up a bit? Thanks! Read and Review:)**

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"What is he doing here?" Ron asked, his ears turning red.

"I invited them over for lunch, so that 'Mione could tell us what's happened in the last eight years. You were there, Ron." Harry replied calmly.

"Surely you didn't mean him as well!" Ron shouted.

"Well, I said 'they' which, in everyone else's mind, meant the entire family." Harry reasoned. We all saw that Ron was going to be yelling for a while, but Draco was the first one to say something.

"Ginny, Harry, would you mind if I took the boys to Diagon Alley? I don't want them to have to hear any arguments."

Ginny replied almost immediately. "That's a brilliant idea! Harry, is that okay?" she said turning to her husband.

"As long as they don't come back hyped up on sugar, that's fine. That time your mum took them there was horrible. They were up all night!" he replied chuckling.

"Your not seriously going to let him take your children out of your house, are you?" Ron asked.

Ginny shrugged. "If 'Mione trusts him, I trust him."

"The same for me. You can always take them, if you want. But then you'd miss the story."

"I can do that. You can fill me in later."

I noticed the grin that spread across Ginny's face. She said, "You should probably take Scorpius too."

Ron gulped. "I should?"

"Mind you, he loves your brothers shop. We'd have to send you with some money. And if I find out you told him something I wouldn't want him knowing yet, I'll be looking for you tomorrow." Draco said, with one of his genuine smiles.

Ron gulped again. "Okay. Malfoy can take them. But if** I** find out you hurt James or Al, I'll be lookin for** YOU** tomorrow."

Draco snorted at this statement, which is pretty rare when there are people other than me around. "Why would I want to hurt children? I'll go up and get them. Harry, would you prefer us to floo, or apparate?" Draco said.

Harry looked taken back by the question. "Uh, I'm not sure. Gin?"

"Floo would be better. They've done that before. Will you need us to help, since there are three kids?"

"No. I'll be fine. I'll floo to George's shop and leave your boys with them and come back for Scorp." he said, as he started to walk up the stairs.

"Oh, and Malfoy? Don't let them get anything from George. I'll have to tell you what happened to Filch. It was absolutely disgusting, yet amazingly brilliant." Harry laughed, turning a slight shade of green.

Draco raised an eyebrow, but then continued up the stairs. A few moments later, the three heard the fireplace go off numerous times, telling them that they were the only ones left in the house.

"So, should we start with lunch?" Ginny asked. Ron smiled an went into the kitchen. We started to eat, and we lapsed into a tense silence. Then Ron asked me a question.

"'Mione, why don't you tell us about the day you left."

"Uh- okay." I said putting my fork down.

Well, that morning I went into the Minister's office to ask for an out-of-the-country job, because I was tired of the expectations between Ronald and I."

_FLASHBACK_

_"Good morning, Minister. How are you today?" I asked._

_"Doing well. What brings you here this morning?"_

_I chuckled nervously. "Well, I was hoping you had an assignment I could take that would put me out of the country for a while."_

_He opened a drawer, and started rifling through the papers that were there. As he did this, he said, "Well, there are plenty to take you out of the country, but most of them are only for a week. I take it you'd like to be gone longer than that?"_

_"Correct. I'd like to be away from here for as long as possible." she replied._

_Then she heard him gulp. "The only case longer than a week is the Lucius Malfoy case. In which, you'd try to find out if he is innocent or guilty by searching his home, searching memories and solving if they are real, and interviewing family members."_

_"That's the only one?" I asked._

_"Yes. And I think you would be perfect for this case. I was going to have to assign it soon if I didn't get an offers. I was going to have to sign it to Neville, but I'm not sure how that would work." he chuckled._

_"Uhmm.. Okay. I'll take it. When do I leave?" I said nervously._

_"This afternoon. Come here at noon and I'll give you the file and brief you."_

_END FLASHBACK_


	6. Chapter 5: Lucius Malfoy

**AN: THANK YOU for the reviews! You guys are awesome. Lucius has a pretty long monologue at the end, so PLEASE tell me what you think about it Thanks again:) Read and Review:) **

**P.S. Sorry for the OCC-ness. I hope to put something in there that makes the characters change to what they are in my story, but we'll see.**

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"So, wait, you asked to be put on that assignment?" Ron asked. By now, we'd finished lunch and gone into the living room.

"Yeah. I was tired of people wanting us to date or get married. So I left, hoping I'd be almost forgotten by the London Wizarding World."

"Oh. That was a little extreme, don't you think? We could have just released a statement to the press." Ron stated.

"I thought of that as well. At the time, I didn't know I'd come back with a family. I had decided that I'd go on this assignment, then take a long vacation to Australia to give my parents their memories back. If I had stayed, I wouldn't have gotten that long vacation. And I could just come back quietly one of these days. Apparently, Hogwarts had a different idea." I laughed.

"That makes sense." Harry said. "So what happened with the Lucius Malfoy case? And that's where Malfoy comes in, right?"

"He wasn't there immediately. He came in when I did the family interviews. And I didn't do that until the first month I was there. The Wizarding World in Russia was on a two week holiday when I got there, so I wasn't working on the case for the first while I was there. Then I had a meeting with each of the family members, to hear what they had to say. They answered the questions pretty well. Draco was a little difficult, but I did get some answers."

_FLASHBACK_

_I was sitting in a room that had a table and two chairs. That was everything that was in the room. There was a one sided window, that I couldn't see. It was there for if one of them tried to attack me. Who did they think i was? Like I couldn't protect myself. _

_The door opened. A Russian guard followed by a shabby looking Lucius Malfoy in hand cuffs, and another Russian guard. In the two week holiday, I had learned Russian fluently. I spoke to the guards in their native language._

_"You may take his hand cuffs off. He won't be going anywhere."_

_As they sat him down in his chair, they looked uneasy. "We are not supposed to do that, ma'am." one replied._

_"And why is that, may I ask?" I asked smoothly, not showing my irritation._

_"He might try to escape." the other said nervously._

_"I am quite capable of containing him, if needed. You may lock the door if you must, but take the cuffs off." I waved him off. Lucius kept his eyes on me the entire time. The guards reluctantly did what I said, and then they left the room. It was so quiet, I heard the clicking of the lock._

_"That was quite impressive Miss Granger. And thank you." Lucius said._

_"The hand cuffs looked painful. I'd rather you were listening and answering my questions than focusing on pain from the cuffs." I shrugged. He nodded silently._

_"So, Mr. Malfoy, do you know why you're here with me today?" I asked._

_"You're here to question me and my family on my involvement with the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, in hopes to prove me either guilty or innocent." He paused for a moment. "I only ask that the full story is not released to the press. It is a shameful one, and I would like to keep the small amount of pride I have left. I also ask that you are not too harsh on the rest of my family. My faults should not cause them punishment."_

_I didn't expect that kind of answer, but my face didn't show it. "I will be the only one who knows the entire story. I only have to tell Kingsley innocent or guilty, and he will consult me on the persecution. Your family will not be punished for your wrongs if I have anything to say about it, and I have everything to say about it."_

_"Why don't you tell me what made you become involved with Voldemort in the first place? That sounds like a good place to start."_

_"One thing you must understand, Miss Granger, is that fear can cause people to do foolish things, even when there are better options. I was in an arranged marriage to Narcissa Black. Both of us from families that embraced the Dark Lord and his doings. Cissa and I wanted nothing to do with it, but that didn't mean anything. Narcissa was able to steer clear of receiving the Dark Mark. I was not so lucky. My parents threatened me that if I did not join the Death Eaters, she would probably be killed. I took the Mark out of fear. That was not enough for them though. They wanted me to be as evil as the ink on my arm. They had me kill and be cruel to others. It was an act at first, but then I became brainwashed, if you will. I did what they said, not for the fear of my family any more, but because I thought I wanted to. When the Dark Lord fell, when Harry Potter got that scar, things didn't change. Unfortunately, the 'brainwashing' led me to think that beating my wife and child for their wrongdoings was the best punishment. I was cruel to them, and I regret it. I realized what I was doing, and that it was wrong, during the summer before Draco's fourth year, I stopped the cruelty. Then the Dark Lord came back at the end of the school year, and I avoided my family at all costs, so that I would not harm them again. My efforts did not help, because the Dark Lord enlisted Draco after my failure to receive the Prophecy. I didn't want him to do it, but I could not voice my opinions without being killed. I only wished to stay alive now to help Draco keep his mother alive. During the final battle, at Hogwarts, I knew that we would not win. The Light would. It was the most sensible thing. If we had disappeared right after it started, we would have been followed. Which meant we had to fight and kill. When I saw that the Dark Lord would not be winning, that he would die once and for all, we snuck away. We moved here, to Russia, where we were safe up until about four months ago, when we were found and I was imprisoned."_

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__**AN: Don't forget to tell me what you guys think of Lucius' monologue!**


	7. Chapter 6: Narcissa's Scars

**AN: Here's the next chapter! This is Narcissa's interview! BTW, sometimes, I don't bold the words that are emphasized. I type this on my iPod, and then email it to myself, so I can't always find all of those words. Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter. Next chapter will be when we have Draco's interview. I'll post it as soon as it's done! Don't forget to leave me reviews! :)**

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_Lucius finished his monologue. I saw that he was thirsty and conjured a plastic water bottle for him._

_"Thank you." was his reply. He drank half of it in one gulp and then set it down._

_"Well, I was suppose to ask you a bunch of questions, but I think you just answered the majority of them. Let me see if I can find any others." I said, and began rifling through the papers in front of me. "No. You answered them all." He nodded._

_"You should know. Right now, there are two options for your sentence. You'll either be receiving 30-50 years in Azkaban, or 6-15 years under house arrest. In the event that the latter is chosen, you'll have to see a psychiatrist twice a week." I told him._

_"And what of Narcissa and Draco?" he asked with glazed eyes._

_"Narcissa will most likely have a year of house arrest for running from the Ministry. Because your son was a minor for most of his crimes, the punishment will likely be similar." I answered. The two Russian guards came back in, and they took Lucius away. I noticed they made sure he had hand cuffs on again. Now I was waiting for Narcissa._

_I contemplated the story I'd just heard. I believed it, but that wasn't enough. I had to prove it, and it was hard to determine whether it was really practiced, or the truth. I'd be using a penseive a lot for the next week._

_The door opened, and Narcissa Malfoy walked in. I noticed the guards weren't holding her shoulders like they had done to her husband. In fact, they looked a little frightened of her. I also noticed that she had hand cuffs as well._

_This angered me a little bit. If what Lucius ha said was true (and I already believed him for the most part), then this woman didn't deserve any of the bull she was receiving. _

_She sat in the chair across from me. She looked at me, her eyes piercing. I tore my gaze from her and looked at the guards. They were the same ones that had brought me Lucius. I spoke to them in Russian again. "May I ask why this woman has hand cuffs? She hasn't done nearly the amount of damage her husband has. She doesn't need these." I pointed to the magically enforced metal bands around her wrists. Instead of arguing, they did as I said this time. They left, and I heard the clicking of a lock again. I looked at Narcissa again, and she still had that piercing stare fixed on me. The stare made me think of the guards who were scared of her, and I decided I had to ask._

_"Mrs. Malfoy, before I begin with the questions pertaining to your husband, could I ask why the guards were so scared of you?" 'I can't help it when my curiosity gets the better of me,' I silently mused. At this, she smiled. The only problem was that this smile didn't reach her eyes. Now, they only showed sadness._

_"Word spread of the spells I used when they came for us in our villa near the border. They were pretty horrendous. I wasn't involved with the Death Eaters, but I'd do anything to save my son. Hell, I lied to the Dark Lord once I knew Draco was alright! I sat around that villa learning some intense defensive spells, for if we we're found. Turns out, it didn't matter. They still got us. Draco and I aren't in as bad of a situation as Lucius, though. And as long as Draco is fine, I am." she told me._

_All I could say was, "Oh." We sat in silence for a few moments, until she spoke again._

_"Didn't you have some questions for me, Miss Granger?" she asked._

_"Right. Thank you." I shook my head to clear it of what she had just told me. I looked at my papers. "Could you describe your relationship with Lucius, please?"_

_Narcissa sighed. "Well, I'm sure you already knew that it was an arranged marriage. What you didn't know was that I loved him more than anything in the world, even before the marriage. I knew he didn't feel the same way, and I had hoped that he'd come to love me through the years._

_"He did. But not long after, the circumstances became horrible. He took the Mark. I had heard a little of the Order of the Phoenix, and I suggested we go to Dumbledore. He insisted that it was too late. That there was no going back from what he had already done. I kept hoping he'd find some sense, but he never did. And then I had Draco. I'm sure you heard all this from him. He began to abuse Draco and I. He told me it was an act, to keep the Death Eaters in the dark, so they wouldn't try to kill us. I was still do smitten with him that I believed it. I do not doubt that in some cruel an twisted way, that he believed what he was saying to be true. I went along with it for years. When I finally decided it was time to stop, he stopped. He stopped before I could even say anything to him. And then the Dark Lord came back. You know that part, I assume?" she said._

_I nodded._

_"And now I plan on divorcing Lucius. During the time I spent in that villa, I realized that I hadn't really loved him for a while now. It will nice once my sentence is fulfilled and I can start a clean slate." she smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. _

_It was good that she was finally standing up for herself. I looked down at my papers. They were charmed to write their answers beneath the question, and then give me more from what the person had told me. The question is had was an uneasy one. I frowned._

_"Mrs. Malfoy, I don't want to make you uncomfortable in any way, but the do you have any scars from his abuse?"_

_She chuckled darkly. "Trust me, dear. There's nothing that can make me uncomfortable after the years I spent in the Manor. The torture I saw was horrible. Yours was the worst though." she paused, noticing I'd turned pale, and then she frowned._

_"Oh! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. Of course, that would be a touchy topic." she said the last sentence mostly to herself._

_I smiled weakly. "Quite alright. You didn't know how I would react. It's very understandable."_

_"Anyway," Narcissa went on, trying to change the subject, "yes. I have scars. Do you need to see them?"_

_"Only if you're okay with it, but, it will help in the persecution of Lucius." I said._

_She got up and walked over to me, turning around when she was in front of me. She lifted her shirt off of her back, and I gasped. Her back was covered in raised lines, that looked as if they came from a whip. There were probably 50 or 60. The longest went from one shoulder to the opposite hip. The rest were various lengths, but none were shorter than 2 inches. I took a picture, and she pulled her shirt back down, walking back to her seat._

_"Those are only there because I couldn't have them healed fast enough." she told me. I nodded, and we lapsed into another silence. I looked at my paper, waiting for another question to pop up. It never did. Funny. I didn't think paper could be speechless._

_"Well, that's all the questions I have. I'm guessing you will end up under house arrest for no longer than a year, but I won't know for sure until next week." I told her. She nodded and then the guards came and took her away._

_END FLASHBACK_

"So Malfoy's dad abused him and his mum?" Harry asked. I nodded. I didn't know where this was going, but I was wary of what Ron may say. I looked at him, but he only had a confused look on his face. Ginny was on the edge of her seat, like this was the best story she'd ever heard. I gave her the gist of everything in that first letter, so she's hearing the entire story now. Harry had a blank look on his face, and was zoned out. We were silent for a while. Then Ginny spoke.

"So... Tell us about Malfoy's interview." I could tell she was getting anxious to hear the rest.

I chuckled. "Alright, alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist!"

* * *

**AN: Oh yeah! So I've heard people say they can tell where a person is from by how they write. Can you guys tell where I'm from? And how can you tell? XD**


	8. Chapter 7: The Failed Interview

** A/N: ATTENTION! READ THIS BEFORE YOU START READING THE CHAPTER! **

**Unfortunately, I felt that to get my point across I should put the "A word." I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable reading the story though, so I'm warning you now. It only says "arse," but if you feel that you shouldn't read the story anymore because of it, I quite understand. I'm going to change the rating as well. The language in this story WILL NOT become anymore vulgar language. I'm sorry if you can't read it anymore. The last thing I want to do is upset anyone. I'm sorry.**

For those of you that are okay with it, READ ON! (And don't forget to review!) Thanks :)

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_FLASHBACK_

_I'm sitting at the table, absently tapping it. This is the interview I'm worried about. Draco Malfoy. The egotistical prat I went to school with. I doubt he'd answer any of my questions. I had tried to get Kingsley to take him off my interview list, but he insisted that it was necessary. Necessary my arse._

_The door opens, and in comes my arch enemy. He easily glides in, but he doesn't have the same swagger he had from our school days. He doesn't have hand cuffs, but the guards are right behind him. He sits down, and they wait for me to dismiss them. At least that's what I think they're doing._

_In Russian, I speak. "You may go now." I wave them off._

_"We're suppose to stay with him." I recognize the one that spoke as one that brought both Lucius and Narcissa to me. The other was a different one. This man was seriously annoying me now. I shook my head and sighed._

_"And I'M supposed to conduct these interviews with only two people in the room. The person I'm interviewing and myself. You are neither. Now get out." They did as I said, and it was silent for a moment._

_"Well, Granger, long time no see." Malfoy said._

_I gave him a tight-lipped smile, and said, "Yes." I looked at my papers and read the first question to myself. Before I could read it aloud, he spoke._

_"I won't be answering any of your questions, Granger, so I wouldn't even bother asking."_

_I sighed. "I know. But I had to try. Thanks for the heads up though." I set my paper back down and closed my eyes. It had been a long day, and ending with an uncooperative Malfoy, didn't help. I felt myself starting to fall asleep, but before I could entirely succumb to the slumber, he spoke again._

_"Don't go to sleep. I'd have nothing to entertain me but your snoring for an entire hour." I could hear the smirk on his face._

_"Well, Malfoy, I've had a rather long day asking your parents questions, and I'm tired. If you're not going to answer questions, I see nothing better to do than sleep. And I do NOT snore!" I said without opening my eyes._

_"See? You don't need to ask me questions. You got the whole thing from my parents." he said._

_"I tried playing that card with Shacklebolt, but he didn't buy it. I'll just tell him you were being uncooperative. Which you are." I told him with a smug look on my face._

_"And I'LL tell him you didn't ask me a thing." he said._

_"What makes you think he'll believe you over me?" I asked. He frowned at that._

_"Touché, Granger." was his reply. I smiled at that. "Wipe that look off your face, Granger." that just made the smile wider._

_"Are you insinuating that I, Hermione Granger- Mudblood know-it-all- got the upper hand against Draco Malfoy- Pureblooded arse?" I laughed._

_"I don't talk like that anymore, Granger. And I'm not an arse." he grumbled._

_I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned into the table. "Prove it."_

_He sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say. I absolutely hate my father. I dont want anything to do with him. I was forced to become a Death Eater. Not only was my father forcing me, Voldemort threatened to kill my mother if I did kill Dumbledore." he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I can't wait for this nightmare to be over." he whispered to himself, but I heard him. I frowned. Then I did something I never though I'd do. I offered Draco Malfoy help._

_"Malfoy, I don't know what you're going through. But if you just want to talk to someone without them talking back, you can talk to me." I told him._

_He scoffed. "Me? Need a Muggleborns help? Ha!"_

_I held up my hands in surrender. " I figured you'd say something of the sort, but I'm still putting it out there for you."_

_He frowned. Then he got up and walked out the door. Apparently, the guards didn't lock it for this interview. I sighed and gathered my papers. Next thing I know, I'm in my hotel room. I was so tired, I didn't even remember apparating. Boy, was I lucky I didn't get splinched!_

_END FLASHBACK_

I look around the room. Everyone looks a little bored now, even Ginny.

"Not the most exciting part of the story, huh?" I chuckle.

"Pretty much." Harry says.

"What happened to them all? What sentence did Kingsley give to them?" Ginny asked.

"Lucius got forty-five years in Askaban and a divorce from Narcissa. She got he majority of his money. Narcissa got a year of house arrest, which she took gratefully. She knew she'd done wrong, and paid for her mistakes. Draco wasn't as easy. He also had a year of house arrest. He kept escaping though, and we had to have someone there at all times. It had just been wards that would only let the people inside do certain spells, and nothing more. And you couldn't get out, unless authorized. Draco found a way around it somehow. He still hasn't told me what he did." I say, smiling to myself.

"With good reason." a familiar voice said from the next room. Ron jumped up and pulled out his wand. Draco came into the room smiling, and then he frowned when he saw Ron's wand. "Put that thing away, Weasely. Nothing's attacking." he told him.

Ron lowered his wand about an inch before shouting, "Where's the children? What've you done to them?"

Draco looked to Harry and Ginny. "I hope it's alright. They were being quite a handful, so I took them to my Aunt 'Dromeda's to play with Teddy. I stayed there for a while, but she told me to come back. I thought I'd see how things were going. How far did you get?" he said, saying the last sentence to me.

"That's fine. The boys have been itching to see Teddy anyway. He tells them about Hogwarts. She just got done telling us about the interview she had with you." Ginny told him.

"Oh. So I got here just in time. Are you gonna be okay for this part?" he asked, putting a comforting hand on my arm.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." I said.

Ron had put his wand away and say back down. "What part?" he asked.

I grimaced. "The part about finding my parents."


	9. Chapter 8: Ariana Granger

**AN: Here's Chapter 9 everybody! Sorry it took so long! I had an assignment in English to do, which I had to devote all my time to. It's probably going to be like that every month or so. I'll try to get a bunch of chapters up in the next week or two, but I can't make promises! Thanks for all the amazing reviews! Sorry for grammatical errors of any kind. I'm going to try and get a Beta soon, so hopefully those errors will soon disappear. Anyway, READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks!**

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"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Well, I didn't leave Russia for another three months. So everyone's sentence had been carried out by then. Kingsley gave me four months of vacation time since he knew I would be looking for my parents. I knew that their last name was Wilkin and that they lived in Sydney. That was all though. I decided to look in a phone book. How many Wilkins could there be, right? Well, let's just say all the Wilkins took up about two whole pages of the phone book." I chuckled darkly. "I had to trail each one to find out if it was them. Then I got to the last couple."

_FLASHBACK_

_I was walking down their street. The street that just HAD to have my parents living on it. I look at the piece of paper in my hand. It was a page torn out of the phone book. Every name was crossed out on this page except for one. I find the number of their home and stand out on the sidewalk in front of it._

_They lived in a little white home. It had a wrap around porch, and it looked like it also had an attic. It also had a giant weeping willow in front. It made me think of the Whomping Willow, who was burned down during the battle of Hogwarts. In the Whomping Willow's place stood a much younger one, that in about 50 years, would be the same size as the old one._

_Before walking up to the door, I checked my Muggle cell phone for the date. Tomorrow is supposed to be my last day of vacation. I look back at the house. It looks oddly vacant. I knock on the door. There is no answer. 'Maybe they didn't hear me knock.' I think to myself. I knock again, louder this time. Still no answer._

_'Odd. They usually don't go anywhere together until the evenings.' I frowned. I decided I would just go in. I turned the knob of the door, which was surprisingly unlocked. I opened it a crack and called, "Hello? Anybody home?" Once again, no one answered. _

_I opened the door further and stepped inside. Everything looked normal. I walked through the house and noticed a lot of things needed dusted. Which was odd, because my mother wouldn't let anything get dirty normally. I noticed pictures on the wall. They were of my parents and a little girl that looked like me, which also didn't make sense._

_I walked out of their house, closing the door behind me. I decided to go next door to see if the neighbor knew when they'd be home. I came up to their door and knocked. It opened and a girl that looked to be about 17 stood before me. She took one look at me, then turned, and called out, "Ariana! I think it's for you!" She turned back to me and said, "Just a minute." Then she walked down the hallway. _

_I stepped inside and closed the door. When I turned back around, a girl that looked exactly like me when I was five stood before me. Her eyes were as wide as saucers._

_"Who are you?" she asks._

_"My name is Hermione Granger. Who are you?" I already knew her first name, but I'm hoped she would tell me her last too._

_"I'm Ariana Wilkins. Are you related to me or something? You look kind of like me." she said._

_"Well, Ariana, I might just be your sister. What happened to your parents?" At this, she froze. When she spoke again, she was barely above a whisper._

_"I KNOW what happened. They don't believe me. They think I'm crazy. They made me go to a psychiatrist." she said, more to herself. I became really worried about what she was saying. I got on my knees and put my hands on her shoulders._

_"Ariana, please. Tell me what happened." I pleaded._

_She looked at the ground. "You wouldn't believe me. You would tell me I need to see a doctor."_

_"I promise you I will believe. I'll even tell you a secret, but you have to tell me about them first. Okay?" I was getting desperate now. She studied me for a minute, choosing what she would do. She spoke again after a few minutes._

_"Well, I was watching a movie with my Mum and Dad about a month ago. Someone knocked on the door. I answered it. They said they needed to talk to my mummy and daddy, so I let them in. I had to go to the bathroom right then, so I left them to talk. As I was coming out, I saw Daddy fall. I thought he might have passed out, but I stood there frozen. The people that made Daddy fall pointed sticks at Mummy and something green shot out of the sticks. Then Mummy fell. The people didn't notice me, and then I heard a bunch of POP's and the people had vanished out of thin air. I ran to Mummy and Daddy to wait for them to wake up, so we could finish the movie. I sat there all night. The next morning Mummy's friend came to see her and I told her the story. When she saw them, she ran to them and put her head on their chests. Then she started crying, and she told me they were dead." Ariana said._

_I fell back and sat against a wall. My parents were dead. Killed by wizards. After clearing their memory, they were still found. I couldn't cry, not in front of the little girl I had officially deemed my sister. That made me wonder about Ariana. What if she was a witch?_

_"Ariana, do strange things besides this ever happen to you? Something you couldn't explain how happened?" I asked._

_"Yes. One time, Mummy's hair turned bright pink right before my eyes. And another time, a boy at school stole my cookie, and then it turned into a pickle." Her nose wrinkled at the last word. "Can you tell me your secret now?"_

_"Yes. Ariana, you're not crazy. I have one of those sticks too. They're called wands." Ariana's eyes got wide with fear. I knew what she must be thinking. "I'm not going to hurt you!" I said a little too loudly. The girl that answered the door came running back in here._

_"What's going on?" she shouted. She hid Ariana behind her legs, and I stood up._

_"This lady says she's my sister." Ariana said._

_"Ariana was an only child. That's impossible." She said to me. My mind was racing. I had to come up with a logical explanation as to why they wouldn't know about me. Then I got an idea._

_"People were after me. My parents got in an accident caused by these people and were put in the Witness Protection Program. Their last name was changed to Wilkins and they were moved here. In their accident, they lost a lot of their memory. They didn't know who I was. I left them so they wouldn't get hurt anymore. Now that the people were gone, I was going to come and see them. I had planned on just getting to know them like their friend, not their daughter. I get here, and I find that the people after me had already gotten my parents. They had still found them." My eyes started watering. This was practically the truth._

_"Where are your parents?" I asked the girl guarding Ariana from me._

_"My mom will be home soon. You can tell her your story. Oh look. There he is now." She said, looking out the window next to the door. I moved out of the way and the woman came in. She didn't even notice me at first. When she did, I launched into my story again. When I was done, she looked at me, contemplating what to do. I held my breath until she spoke. Thankfully, that wasn't too long._

_"I guess there's only one thing we can do to see if you're telling the truth."_

_"And that is?" I asked._

_"You and Ariana must get a DNA test."_

_I smiled. I'd need to call Kingsley. I don't think I'll be going home tomorrow, I thought._

__**END FLASHBACK**


	10. Chapter 9: Ronald's Accusations

Ginny squealed. "You have a sister too? Where is she?"

"She attends Beauxbatons. I got joint custody of her, so when she got a letter from Beauxbatons, she moved in with me. I was living in France at the time. She'll stay there 'til the end of the year, then she'll go to Hogwarts." I told them.

"I'm really sorry about your parents, 'Mione." Harry said, giving me a hug.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." Ginny said.

I gave them a sad smile. "It's okay, guys."

"So what happened next?" Ron asked. We all looked at him and blinked.

"Ron! She lost her parents! This is something you need to give a minute." Ginny snapped.

"No. it's okay, Ginny. It's getting late though. Should someone go get the boys? It's almost time for dinner." I said to her.

Ginny looked at her watch. "Oh! It's already four-thirty! Yes. I need to start dinner. Ron, Harry, would you go get the boys from 'Dromeda's? 'Mione, Draco, do you want to help me with dinner?" Ginny said.

We all got up. Ron and Harry apparated to Andromeda's, and Draco and I followed Ginny to the kitchen.

"Thank you for inviting us over today, Ginny." Draco said.

"Oh, it was no problem. I've been so excited about 'Mione coming back, some people in Diagon Alley probably think I'm a nutter." She laughed. She took a bunch of things out of the fridge and had the knives start cutting it all up.

"What do you need help with, Gin?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing really. I just wanted someone to talk to." she told us, smiling sheepishly.

I sat down at the table. Draco was about to say something, when the floo went off twice. Harry came in first, holding Scorpius and Albus. Harry looked a little flustered. Then came Ron- who also looked flustered-, holding James' hand.

Harry set the boys down and said, "You guys go play upstairs until dinner's ready." As soon as he heard them walking up the stairs, he turned back to Ron. "What's your problem?"

Before Ron could say anything, Ginny asked, "What did he do now?"

"He said, with Scorpius right there, that he would rather carry a Blast-ended Skrewt than 'carry Draco Malfoy's spawn.'" Harry fumed.

I looked at Draco. He was furious. I quickly stood up and made him look at me so he would calm down. Once he looked at me, he took a deep breath.

"Did Scorp hear him, Harry?" I asked.

"I don't think so. He didn't seem phased. He just continued playing with James and Al." he told me.

"Ron, why would you say something like that about 'Mione's kid? It doesn't matter whether you like the father or not. You don't say something like that about one of your best friend's kids." Ginny said.

Draco moved around me. I thought he was going for Ron, so I stepped back in front of him. He growled in irritation. "Give me Cassi please." he said.

I sighed. Cassi was his anger reliever. I picked her up and handed her to him. He visibly relaxed, but he was still pretty tense. I took his wand out of his pocked, and he gave me a tight nod. He could definitely multitask when he was upset. I turned back to the conversation Ron, Ginny, and Harry were having.

"But-" Ron started.

"It doesn't matter, Ron. If you have a problem with someone, you talk to them about it. You **don't **insult them in front of their child." Ginny said, sounding slightly like Molly.

"Ya know, I still don't understand how 'Mione married **that**. I think the ferret did something to her." Ron said to them.

I shook with anger. That's when Harry chose to look at me. He said, "Malfoy, take those wands away from her."

Draco gently took both his wand and mine from me, which I had pointed at Ron. Then, I exploded.

"RONALD WEASLEY! DO YOU REALLY THINK I AM THAT NARROW-MINDED TO LET SOMETHING HAPPEN TO MYSELF! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE **MY HUSBAND **OF POISONING MY MIND LIKE THAT!" I fumed. I would have kept going, but Draco stopped me.

"Love, stop. I know you're upset, but the boys are going to hear you. And besides, if he can't believe you, then he isn't worth your breath." I turned to him as he said this.

He was right. If Ron didn't believe me, that was his loss. I smiled at Draco. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, Love." He kissed my forehead.

"Let's go home. We can come back later. Besides, we have to go house shopping tomorrow." I told him.

"Alright." I turned back to Harry and Ginny.

"We're going to go home. When would be a good time to come back and finish?" I asked.

"The boys are in Muggle primary school, so any week day about three or so is fine." Ginny said.

"Oh. Where are they going?" I asked.

"They go to Belleville Primary School. Are you going to enroll Scorpius?" she asked. Harry and Ron looked between us like we were crazy for changing topic so fast.

"We know we want him to go to primary school, but we haven't talked about Muggle or Wizard yet." I replied.

Ron scoffed. "The ferret hasn't said no to his kid going to a Muggle school? Wow."

Draco clenched his teeth together and held Cassi a bit tighter. He didn't say anything. Ginny went to the kitchen door and yelled for Scorpius to come down in a few minutes because he was going home.

"Oh. Has the ferret got nothing to say?" Ron asked in a baby-like voice.

"Ron, you're just digging yourself a deeper grave, mate." Harry said.

"No, Weasel. I have plenty to say, but I'd rather not upset my wife any more than you already have." Draco smirked. I couldn't help it. I smirked too. What can I say? I was taught by the best.

We turned to walk out of the kitchen when Ron grabbed me.

"'Mione, I want you to go with me to the Ministry tomorrow to get tested." he said to me.

I turned to him, and said in an all-too-sweet voice, "I can't, Ron. I'll be shopping for a house tomorrow. And every day after that, I'll be avoiding **you**!" I then took Cassi from Draco and walked all the way to the car.

I put her in her car seat, and then got in the passenger seat of the car. When Draco came out a few minutes later, he had Scorpius and was chuckling. He put Scorp in his seat and then got in the driver's seat and began to drive home.

"What was so funny?" I finally asked him.

"Something Ginny said after you left. I'll tell you once Scorp is in bed." he replied. Translation: It's not for a child's ears.

The rest of the ride was in silence. When we finally got back to Malfoy Manor, Scorpius was asleep. I took him inside, while Draco took Cassi. I took Scorp to his room and changed him into his pajamas. He stayed asleep the entire time. He woke up as I was tucking him in.

"Goodnight, Scorp." I said. I walked to the door, but before I could leave, Scorpius spoke.

"Mummy, what does spawn mean?" He whispered.


	11. Chapter 10: Searching for a Home

**AN: Okay here's the next chapter. I lied. There's worse cussing. Sorry guys! I don't know if you even care about it, but I thought I'd warn you just in case.**

**I kinda feel like I'm losing this story. Could you guys tell me what you think? If the writing isn't as 'strong' as it was, or something? Thanks!**

I sighed. If I ever see Ronald Weasely again, I'll kill him. I walked back over to Scorp and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Why, Scorp?" I asked him.

"The man with the red hair said that when they came to get us from 'Dromeda's. Is Harry my uncle? And is Teddy my cousin?" he replied.

"Scorp, don't listen to the man with the red hair. He doesn't like Daddy, so he said something that wasn't very nice." I told him.

He nodded.

"Why do you want to know if Harry is your uncle?"

"He told me I could call him that. And he said I could call his wife Aunt Ginny. He also said that Teddy was Daddy's cousin, but that I could call him my cousin too." Scorpius told me.

"He isn't your uncle, but he has been one of my best friends for a long time. So if he said that was okay, then you can call him that. He was also right about Teddy being Daddy's cousin."

He nodded again.

"Now go to sleep, honey."

"Okay, Mummy. I love you." he said to me.

"I love you too, hon." I kissed his forehead before walking out the door to his bedroom. I closed it all but an inch.

I sighed. Today had been a long day. I was super tired. And the conversation I just had with Scorpius was the frickin' cherry on top. I walked into the bedroom and fell back onto my bed, barely noticing Draco sitting on it with his pensieve in front of him.

"Love, don't fall asleep. I'm going to show you what happened after you left." He said.

"Okay." I got up and walked around to him. He took my hand and we plunged into the icy coolness of the pensieve.

* * *

I watched myself walk out of the room and heard the front door slam. Nobody said anything for a minute. Then Harry placed silencing and locking charms on the door. Just in time, too, because Ginny burst a moment later.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASELY! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? SHE JUST CAME BACK! YOU'RE A FUCKING MORON!" She shouted.

I looked at both Draco's. They looked like a child on Christmas Day. I guess nothing is better than you're worst enemy getting yelled at right before your eyes, and by their sister, no less. I look back at Ginny. Harry is rubbing her back, while she is taking deep breaths and glaring at Ron. Ron looked at Harry in disbelief.

"Harry, mate, aren't you going to help me?" Ron pleaded.

"No, Ron. You crossed a line. Ginny is right. You're going to drive 'Mione away again. If you can't deal with the face she married someone you don't like, well tough shit. You can just leave her alone." He paused. "Now, I think you should go. It's getting late."

Ron huffed. Then he walked out the back door, slamming it behind him. A minute later, we heard a faint pop telling us Ron had apparated away.

I felt myself starting to be sucked back out of the memory. Just before, I looked at both Draco's. They still looked pretty amused. I shook my head. '_The things that amuse him sometimes_.' I thought.

* * *

Looking around the room, I find that I'm back on my bed, with Draco laying next to me.

"So Ginny yelling at Ron was what made you laugh?" I asked.

He nodded. "I don't know why I found it so funny, but it was hilarious that he sister and his best friend were ganging up on him."

"I'd say it's because of the degree of animosity you had towards him, and still do."

"Alright. Stop using big words. I may be as smart as you, but I'm too tired to process them." he said to me.

I chuckled. Moments later, we were asleep.

The next morning, at breakfast, it was peaceful. We were having french toast and eggs when Draco spoke.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you last night. Ginny said she'd take Cassi and Scorp while we looked for a house, if you wanted." he said, cutting Scorp's toast.

"Okay. We can take them over right before we leave." I said.

"Leave for where, dear?" Narcissa asked, walking into the room.

"We're going to be house shopping today, 'Cissa." I told her.

"Nonsense. You all are fine here. You needn't go anywhere. Besides, Scorpius loves it here." Narcissa replied.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Mother, he loves it here because you spoil him rotten. If we stay any longer, you're going to be dressing Cassi in gold dresses."

"Beautiful clothing never hurt anybody." Narcissa pouted.

"True, but she's a baby, Mother. She doesn't need beautiful clothing 'til she's older. But even then, she won't be allowed to wear it anywhere because she's not allowed to date until she's thirty." he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

I chuckled, confused on how it got to Cassi dating. "Alright. Well, we should probably go."

We got ready and into the car. The drive to the Potter's was pretty silent. We left Cassi and Scorpius there with the promise we'd be back before dinner.

Then came the real challenge: finding a home for our family. We looked at probably fifty house. We were tired by the time we got to the last house.

Before we got inside, we knew it was the one. It was a beautiful Victorian two-story house. White with blue shutters. There was a chain-link fence around the back. The backyard had a huge oak tree with a tire swing hanging from it.

We walked inside admiring everything about the house. I was about to point something out to Draco when my phone rang. I looked at it and it said Ginny was calling. I answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

Someone was sobbing. That's when I started to worry.

"Hello? Ginny, are you there?" I asked again.

"'Mione!" Ginny sobbed.

"What's wrong, Gin?" I asked, trying hard to be patient.

She couldn't speak in complete sentences because she was crying so hard. I could only make out three words next. They were: "Ron," and "Scorpius," and "St. Mungo's." I dropped the phone.

My little boy is in St. Mungo's. I'm going to kill Ronald Weasely.


	12. Chapter 11: Scorpius' Fall

**AN: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! I've been so busy with school and getting ready for the holidays and everything, that I haven't had any time to write! Anyway, the beginning of this chapter is in Draco's point of view because I decided a little bonding moment between Harry and Draco might be interesting. The flashback is in Hermione's point of view. I'll try to get a new chapter posted next week, but I can't make promises! Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all! And don't forget to tell me what you think of this chapter! :)**

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**DRACO'S POV**

I watched as Hermione dropped her cell phone. I took a step towards her and put my hands on her shoulders. I was worried.

"Hermione, tell me. What's wrong?" I asked her.

She stared at me blankly, her face contorted into a grimace. I saw tears forming in her eyes, and all I wanted was to know what was causing her so much pain, so I could fix it. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Something happened to Scorpius. He's in St. Mungo's."

I could barely process what happened. Next thing I knew, I had apparated us to St. Mungo's. I got us through to where Scorpius' room was. Harry and the Weasel were standing outside talking with a doctor. We got to them, and listened to what the doctor was saying.

"-amazing. He should be dead, but he's only got a few broken bones. The worst part is that he's fallen into a coma and there's nothing we can do to help that." he said.

That's when Hermione came back to life. When he said the word coma.

"My baby's in a coma?" she whispered. She suddenly whirled to face the Weasel, her face full of anger. She pointed a finger at him and he flinched a little. "Ronald Weasely, you stay the fuck away from my family!" she yelled.

She then ran into Scorpius' room. The four of us just stood there for a minute. Harry and the Weasel were in shock. The doctor stared after her for a minute before silently walking away. I stood there waiting for them to say something, but they never did.

"So what happened, Harry? I'm assuming **he **had something to do with it after what 'Mione just said." I said, nodding towards the Weasel.

"Well, I'm not completely sure." he paused to watch the Weasel walk away. "From what I could get out of Gin, they went outside while she made lunch. She looked outside about twenty minutes later, and Scorpius was fifteen feet in the air. James, Al, and Ron were watching him. She said it **looked **like Ron was trying to get Scorp down, but she couldn't tell. She watched him start to fall, but she couldn't save him. She ran outside and we was already on the ground."

"Hmm." I replied. Was the Weasel really trying to help Scorpius?

"I've never seen 'Mione so angry before. I've never heard her talk like that." Harry said. I knew what he meant. 'Mione only used violent words if she was pissed beyond belief. This was only the second time I'd heard her talk like that.

"I have. Once before. She yelled at my dad." I replied. Harry backed up and sat down in a chair. I followed suit.

"I thought she said he was like mentally unstable. What'd he do to make her so mad?"

"Oh he's definitely unstable. Just not in the way we previously thought. We thought he might like to meet Scorpius. We took Scorp to see him last year. Turns out, he was only trying to get a lighter sentence. He really was prejudiced and everything. He started eylling at us, calling us filth and what-not. He disowned me, but I didn't really care. Scorpius was heart broken. He was bawling his eyes out half the night." I told him.

"What'd 'Mione do?" Harry asked.

"She had me take Scorpius outside the cell. She laid into him pretty badly. Scorp couldn't hear it, but I could. I used one of the Weasely's Extendable Ears. She was telling him that I was still his son and it shouldn't matter if Scorpius is half-blood. We're his family. She was screaming at him for a good fifteen minutes." I told him.

"Wow. I guess you don't get between 'Mione and her family." Harry looked surprised.

"That's for sure. I actually kind of feel sorry for Weasely. When she gets hold of him, there might not be much left. Even if he was trying to get Scorp down." I smirked at the thought.

"We should probably go in there soon. We need to stop all the crying that's probably going on." Harry said. The atmosphere seemed noticeably more gloomy.

"Right." I said. I stood up and walked into the room. No matter how he looks, I can't freak out. My family needs me to be strong. I wasn't prepared for what I saw though.

Scorpius was laying on the bed. His right arm and both legs wrapped with casts. He had bandages around his head. He looked as if he was sleeping peacefully. I knew better though.

Hermione was running her hand through his hair, silent tears streaming down her face. Ginny sat in a chair in the corner, crying as well. Cassi was in her carseat on the floor next to her, sleeping soundly.

I walked over to Hermione and put my hand on her back so she knew I was there. She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with more tears. Then she stood up and hugged me, hiding her face on my shoulder. I hugged her back fiercely.

"It's going to be okay." I whispered to her. She nodded.

The doctor came in a minute or so later. He walked over to Scorpius and performed a number of spells on him silently. When we was done, he turned to me and Hermione.

"Everything is fine with him. Talking might help bring him out of the coma." he told us, and left.

"Did you hear that? We need to talk more. Why don't you tell Harry and Ginny more of our story? It might help." She nodded.

"Ginny, come with me to wash up." They walked out of the room silently. I sat in the chair that Hermione had previously occupied by Scorpius' bed. I sighed. "I promise, Scorp, if you mum doesn't kill the Weasel, I sure as hell will." I told him.

"Malfoy, what are you gonna do if it really was an accident?" Harry asked.

"I'll still kill him for not doing anything with his wand." I looked over at Harry. He looked astonished at me. I sighed, exasperated.

"I won't really kill him, Potter. I won't get myself thrown into Azkaban. My family needs me." I said, looking back at Scorpius. Harry seemed satisfied by that answer.

A few moments later, Hermione and Ginny came back in, holding a coffee in each hand. They handed us one, and we were silent for a minute. Then Harry decided to say something. "So, where were we yesterday, guys?" he asked us all.

"'Mione had just gotten done telling us about how she found her sister." Ginny replied.

"Oh. Yeah. So what happened after that?" he asked, looking to Hermione.

I saw her glance at me before speaking. "Well, Kingsley sent me back to Russia. He wouldn't tell me why, but he gave me a location and a time. I showed up and I found out it was the Malfoy's villa. That was were Draco and Narcissa were under house arrest in."

"Why did he send you there?" Harry asked.

"The Wizengamot decided that Draco needed to have some therapy sessions and the doctor wanted me to come to one of them."

_HERMIONE'S FLASHBACK_

"_So what exactly am I doing here?" I asked._

"_I asked for you to come because Mr. Malfoy needs to apologize for tormenting you as a child. It's part of his healing process." he said. Malfoy walked in and sat down in the chair next to me. I blinked._

"_I was sent all the way back to Russia for Malfoy to apologize to me." I paused. It was a statement, not a question. "He already did."_

_It was silent for a moment. Then Malfoy spoke, "I told you." He smirked at the doctor._

"_Well, then. I guess you don't need to be here, Miss Granger. And our session for today has been cut short, Draco." He nodded silently._

_We all stood up. As we were walking out the door of the office, my phone rang. I stepped to the side of the entrance hall. Malfoy and the doctor continued to the door that was about ten feet away. I pulled out my phone. It was Kingsley._

"_Hello?" I said._

"_Hermione. It's Kingsley." the voice said._

"_What do you need, Minister?"_

"_Are you still at the Malfoy's?" he asked me._

_I narrowed my eyes and answered slowly. "Yes. Why?" I noticed Malfoy was watching me. The doctor had already left. He was waiting for me to leave now._

"_I need you to stay there for the day. The auror that was supposed to come got sick, and nobody else is available." he said. My eyes widened._

"_I'm not a bleeding babysitter! I work in MLE for goodness sake!" I told him._

"_I'm sorry, Hermione. There's nobody else that can do it right now, and you're already there. It's only for today." he said sympathetically._

"_Fine. Bye." I hung up the phone, looking around. Malfoy was nowhere to be found. "Malfoy?" I called._

"_In here, Granger." he called out._

_I turned around and went into the kitchen, where he was standing with a glass of butterbeer. "So you're hanging out here for the day?" he asked._

"_Pretty much." I frowned. "Hey. Where's your mum?"_

"_Probably in the library. Come on. I'll take you there." he said, putting down his glass and walking out of the room._

_He walked down the hallway, past the office. He stopped in front of a door. "There are only muggle books in there. Without my father around to dictate her, she's been able to do more of the muggle-type things that she wants." he said. He opened the door and walked in. I followed._

_The room wasn't very big, which was surprising. The shelves were, from floor to ceiling, stuffed with books. It was amazing. I saw Narcissa sitting at a table. She was very engrossed in a book. I walked over to her. She noticed me and put down her book._

"_Miss Granger, it's nice to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure?" she said, smiling brightly._

"_Well, whoever was supposed to hang out here with you today called in sick. I was the only other person that could do it." I told her._

"_I see. Would you like to join me?" she said, pointing to the chair across from her. I nodded and sat down._

"_It's very nice to see you again, Mrs. Malfoy. I wish it were under better circumstances though." I said._

"_Nonsense. Everything is fine." she replied warmly._

"_You certainly have an interesting collection of books." I told her, looking around the room._

"_Yes. I send a letter to the Minister asking for muggle literature. I'd wanted to read their books for years, but Lucius wouldn't allow it." she told me._

"_Oh." was all I could reply with._

"_Well, it's nearly lunchtime. Shall we go to the kitchens to make lunch?" she asked me._

"_Oh. You don't have house elves?" I asked._

"_Not here. We've been taught basic cooking skills, and I've read some muggle cookbooks. When we go back to the manor, I will cook more and give the elves breaks." She told me._

_I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me for this woman. Especially because she would give her house elves breaks. It may not be exactly what I wanted when I created S.P.E.W., but it's a start. It must be kind of difficult for her, since she's grown up with house elves her whole life, but she's still trying. Right?_

"_So what were you thinking of making?" I asked her._

"_I wasn't quite sure yet. I was going to look for a good recipe to use. Do you have any ideas?" Narcissa asked._

_I though for a moment. "We could make my mom's homemade spaghetti." I replied, after thinking for a moment._

"_That sounds like a wonderful idea." she said, smiling._

_We head into the kitchen and start to make spaghetti. It was silent except for when Narcissa asked me what she should do next. When it was finished, we put if on plates and took it to the dining room. We called Malfoy in and began to eat in silence. When we were finished, Narcissa spoke._

"_That was marvelous, my dear. I simply must meet your mother one day, Miss Granger." she told me._

_As weird as it sounds, I actually sort of forgot my parents were dead. Like, I knew there were, but it was in the back of my mind. I was so busy with Ariana and then work, I hadn't really thought about my parents._

_Now my resolve was crumbling as I though about them. It would be nonexistent in a matter of moments. I looked directly at Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, that is. I knew he would answer my next question truthfully. I looked him right in his gray eyes, and asked: "Do you have any Firewhiskey?"_

_END FLASHBACK_


	13. Chapter 12: Draco's Story

**AN: Sorry this chapter has taken so long. Been busy with school, as I usually am. And I started helping the the drama club with a play. We will be performing Beauty and the Beast. I'm pretty excited! :) And I wanted this chapter to be a good one, so hopefully you think it is. Also, I need your help. My friend says that I should make Ron guilty for Scorp's fall. Do you think he should be guilty or innocent?**

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"You tried drinking away the pain? Bad 'Mione!" Harry said in a teasing voice.

"Yeah. It wasn't my brightest idea." I chuckled a little.

"So did you get piss drunk?" Ginny asked.

"Actually, Draco didn't let me get that smashed, but I was really close." I said. "We had a good conversation. We told each other things we wouldn't tell anyone if we were sober."

"What did you talk about? Can you tell us now?" Ginny asked.

I looked to Draco, who was sitting silently next to me. "Can I tell them the conversation we had?" I asked him.

"I don't want their pity, love." he said, turning to look at me.

"You know, I think I've heard that somewhere before. Have you heard that somewhere?" I asked, tapping my chin and smiling knowingly up at him.

"Hush up." he murmured at me, giving me a slight smile. Then he spoke louder. "I suppose you could tell them. I think I might go though. I will go talk to the realtor we left in the house. Is that the one you wanted? Personally, I really liked it." he said, standing up.

:I really liked it as well. I think that is the one." I stood up and gave him a hug. He kissed my forehead, and then he was gone. I sat back down and looked at Scorpius. Then a thought struck me.

"Harry, where are your boys at?" I asked.

"I took them to Andromeda's before coming here?" he said.

I looked at Ginny. She was clutching the now awake Cassi to her like a lifeline. It's amazing how much this has affected her, even though she's only known Scorpius for a few days.

"Well, anyways, back to the story. Draco took me inot the kitchen and we sat down at the booth in there. He was keeping count of the number of drinks I had, I think. He kept hold of the bottle and poured each drink for me." I said.

FLASHBACK

"_So explain to me why you're trying to drink all of my firewhiskey?" Malfoy said, a firm grip on the bottle. I took a sip and winced. Firewhiskey always burned the first couple of glasses for me._

"_I'm not drunk enough yet." My face was now laying on the table, so my speech was muffled I didn't think he would understand what I'd said, so it surprised me when he chuckled. I looked at him with a questioning look._

"_I never thought I'd hear you say something like that, Granger." he paused. "Then again, I never thought I'd have you in my house at all." I smiled weakly._

"_Funny. Isn't it?"_

"_Definitely." he replied. We were silent for a moment. The only sound was when we took a drink of firewhiskey. I decided it was time._

"_They're dead." I whispered._

"_What? Who is?" he said, confused. Then I saw the realization on his face. "Oh." he said. I gave him a weak smile. I finished what was in my glass in one gulp._

"_I'm sorry, Granger. What happened?" he asked me. He seemed genuinely concerned._

"_I wiped their memories before I left for the Burrow. I made them forget me and moved them to Australia. I wanted them to stay safe from Voldemort. Right after I did your family's interviews, Kingsley game me time off to find them. When I tracked them down, no one was in their house. I went next door, and I met my little sister. She witnessed their death. It was the Death Eaters."_

_I had started to cry about halfway through talking. Now I was finished, I was full on sobbing. I slumped my head on the table. I stayed there for several minutes. Eventually my sobbing became whimpers._

"_That's horrible. Is there anything I can do to help?" Malfoy asked._

_My head shot up. "What did you just say?" I asked him._

"_Is there... anything... I can... do... to.. help?" he repeated hesitantly._

"_Why would you ask that? Don't you hate me?" I asked, sniffling._

"_Well, I was told to hate you in school, so I did. Understandably, the things I did to you were unforgivable. It makes perfect sense for you not to trust me, but, if you're willing, I'd like to see if we can be friends." he said, sticking his hand out as a truce._

_I narrowed my eyes and looked from his hand to his eyes. I was hesitant at first, but then I saw something I hadn't expect. I saw the emotion in his normally emotionless eyes. That's what made me take his hand._

"_Well, now that you've told me about your parents, I should probably tell you my story." he said to me. He stood up and took our glasses to the sink. I frowned and stayed put while he made his way to the door. He stopped when he got to it, noticing I hadn't moved._

"_You coming, Granger?" he asked._

"_You're going to tell me the things I wanted to know at your interview? What's changed since then?" I said, confused._

"_I trust you now." he said and walked through the door. I got up and quickly followed, lost in my thoughts._

_When I shook his hand, it meant something more than a truce. It was more a symbol of friendship. He trusted me, and wants me to trust him. He needed someone to confide in. I smiled to myself. Malfoy noticed this and spoke._

"_What's wrong, Granger? I can practically see all the gears turning in your head."_

"_Nothing." I said, still with a smile. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing._

_We walked back through the hallway and came to the dining room. We went though a door and came to what looked like a sitting room. Narcissa was sitting on a couch,sipping tea and reading a book. She looked up at us, somewhat worried._

"_Miss Granger, are you okay?" she asked._

_I smiled at her. "Yes. I just had some repressed memories come back to the front of my mind. And, please, call me Hermione." I replied._

"_Of course. And where are you two off to.?" she asked, a sudden mischievous glint in her eyes. It kind of scared me for a moment._

"_I'm going to tell her, Mother." Malfoy replied creepily, and continued walking to another door._

"_Tell her what, dear?" she asked him._

_He paused, hand on the door knob and replied, "Everything I should have at the interview."_

_He kept walking. I followed. The next thing I knew, we were back in the library. I was confused now._

"_Malfoy, why are your houses so huge?" I asked him._

"_My father always had to have the best. In his mind bigger is better." He paused, then looked at me. "Which, in some cases, it is." he wiggled his eyebrows. I got the double meaning and I turned fire truck red. Then he did something I didn't expect. He broke out into laughter._

"_And another thing. Why are we in the library?" I asked him._

"_Because it's more peaceful here, I guess. I don't know. I just felt like it would be a good place to talk." he replied._

_We sat at the table Narcissa and I previously occupied. We didn't talk for a few minutes._

"_Do you remember the train ride on our first year?" he finally asked me._

_I frowned. "I sat and talked with you for a few minutes. When you found out I was Muggleborn, you told me to leave."_

"_Do you remember anything else?" Draco asked, leaning forward slightly._

"_Well, you looked frightened for a minute when I told you." I said, thinking back to all those years ago._

"_The reason I was frightened was because of my father. I'm sure you know my mother and I were beat, but I'm not sure you know to what extent. When I was seven, I met a Muggle boy and wanted to be friends with him. My father beat into me that Muggles were scum. Of course, I didn't believe him, but I had to put on a facade for most of my life."_

"_That's horrible." I put my hand over my mouth. He gave me a painful-looking smile._

"_And that's only the beginning. He would also hit me when I came home for summer holidays."_

"_Why?" I asked him. "What made him do that when you came home?"_

_He looked directly in my eyes. "You. My father would get me at King's Cross and take me home. He would take me to his office, and ask why I was still behind a Mudblood. He said I should have easily surpassed you because that was all you are. A Mudblood. Of course, I didn't believe that. I couldn't do much about it though. Half of the things I said were because my dad had spies to make sure I didn't slip up. The other half of my animosity was probably because of his beatings. I needed to take my anger at him out on something, and I guess I thought the reason he hit me would be something good to lash out at."_

"_I'm so sorry, Draco. I wish there was something I could have done." I looked at him. He looked back, not saying anything. "What?" I finally asked him._

_He blinked. "You called me Draco."_

_I chuckled. "Well, that's your name. Isn't it? Or should I keep calling you Malfoy?" I asked._

"_Uh... Whichever you want, I guess." he said. And cue awkward silence. "And I don't want you're pity." he said more firmly._

_A moment later I said, "Anyways, continue with your story."_

"_The summer after fifth year, I was forced to become a Death Eater. My father was in Azkaban, but Voldemort wasn't. He called me into speak with him. Alone. Scared the hell out of me. He said that he knew I was confused with my loyalties and that he could help me decide. He said if I didn't take the Dark Mark, he'd kill my mother. I couldn't say no to him, or he would kill me _and _my mother. I think that, at the time, I was so blinded by fear, that I never even thought to go to Dumbledore about it. Especially after I was ordered to kill him. When Dumbledore told me that I wasn't a killer that night, I had started to believe him. Then the Death Eaters came up the stairs, and I had no choice. When you three were in the Manor, and I lied about who you were, I felt it was a sort of redemption. Like the weight had been lifted off my shoulders slightly. I knew, and still know, that it wasn't a full redemption, but I felt a little better."_

"_Thank you for that, by the way." I told him._

"_I think the worst part of that night was watching you get tortured. I was able to stomach it when people I didn't know were being tortured. But you, someone I knew and went to school with, no matter the circumstances, was horrifying. And then you saved us in the Room of Requirement and everything. I owe you all my life. Multiple times. Then at the end, when we all though Potter was dead, and my father called me to him. I almost stayed where I was, but I saw my mother and I knew I couldn't leave her. The weirdest part was when Voldemort hugged me. That whole next week I ended up scrubbing my skin raw." he finished._

_We were silent as I took in what he just said._

"_Oh, and don't tell Potter I said I owe him. I don't need him rubbing it in my face." he said. I smirked._

_END FLASHBACK_


	14. Chapter 13: The Prince Awakes

**AN: I'm so very sorry it took so long for this chapter! I had a very hard time deciding where to go with it, so I put it off. Well, putting it off made me forget about it completely for a bit, but don't worry! I'm back! So without further ado, CHAPTER 13!**

**PS- look for the teaser for chapter 14 at the bottom!**

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"So all you had to do was put up a truce with him and he told you everything?" Harry asked disbelieving.

"I think he already trusted me. I think when he put up that truce, it was more for my benefit. He wanted me to trust him."

"Well, that makes sense. It would be stupid for someone not to put their trust in you." Harry replied.

I smiled. Then I looked to Scorpius. He looked peaceful, sleeping there. My eyes started to well up again. I just wish he would wake up. At that precise moment, he flinched.

"Scorpius?" I asked. Then I held my breath. I watched him shift around in his sleep. His eyes opened. I took a deep breath. My boy woke up! I felt so happy, I could hug him to death! So that's what I did.

"Hermione, be careful." Harry warned behind me. I let to of Scorpius and grinned sheepishly.

"Scorpius, how are you feeling? Are you okay?" I asked him.

"My head hurts, Mummy. And why can't I move my arm and my legs? They're so heavy!"

"Because you got an owie, honey. If you move your arm or your legs I much then it will make bigger owies, so the doctor put on special band-aids. Do you remember what happened, Scorp?" I asked him.

"I think so. Me and Al and James went outside to play. We wanted to play Quidditch, so I went inside and looked for a broom. I came back out and got on it and I flewed really high, Mummy! And then the mean, red-haired man came and when he saw me he told me to get down. But the broom wouldn't let me down, Mummy! I tried really hard! And then I fell off the broom, and that's all I remember." He replied.

I let out a breath of relief. I won't have to kill Ronald after all. I looked to Harry and Ginny. They were sitting quietly in the corner.

"Gin, could I use your phone?" I asked her.

She handed me the phone and stood up. "I'll go get the do for to let him know Scorpius has woken up." She left the room, still holding Cassi.

I opened the phone and dialed Draco's number. It barely rung once before he answered.

"Hello?" He sounded worried, but also a bit irritated.

"Draco? It's 'Mione. Is everything alright?" I replied.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Is everything alright there? Is Scorpius okay?"

"Yes. He just woke up." I told him.

"Okay. I'm coming over again."

"Sounds good. Should I call Cissa?" I asked.

"Yes please. She is probably wondering where we are. We've been gone for hours."

"You didn't go back there after you talked to the realtor?" I asked, confused.

"No. I went to see my father. I will tell you about it later. I'm going to apparate in just a few minutes, so I need to go now." He told me.

"Okay. See you in a few minutes." I hung up the phone.

I opened it again and called Narcissa. When she answered, I told her everything. When I finished, there was silence on the other end.

"Is he okay?" She finally asked.

"Yes. He woke up about five minutes ago. You can come down if you'd like. We are in room 492 of the Children's Ward."

"I will be there shortly. Goodbye, Hermione."

"Bye, Cissa. See you soon." I replied and hung the phone back up. I handed it to Ginny, who was back now.

"The doctor will be here shortly." She told me.

"Ya know, 'Mione, when you talk to Malfoy on the phone you sound like you're talking to, like, a client or something." Harry said.

"In Wizarding Russia, they use Muggle phones a lot. I worked in the complaint section of MLE for a while. When Draco and I first became friends, he would call while I was at work so we could meet up for dinner. The only problem was that I was t allowed to take personal calls during work hours, so I talked to him like he was calling to make a complaint. After doing it for so long, I guess it just sort of stuck." I replied.

Just then Draco walked in. He strode over to Scorpius.

"Scorpius, how are you?" He asked.

"I'm good, Daddy, but I'm not allowed to move my arm or my legs and my head hurts."

Before Draco could reply, Narcissa and the doctor walked in. Narcissa rushed over to Scorpius side while the doctor began to check Scorpius over. He then turned to Draco and me.

"Everything seems to be fine. You may take him home if you want. You will have to bring him back in the late afternoon tomorrow for him to have his casts removed." He said.

"The bones will be fully mended by then?" I asked him.

"I'll be sending you with medication that will get rid of pain and also speed up the recovery sevenfold. It's very safe. He still shouldn't do too many strenuous activities for three or four days though. And I'm going to be contacting the Aurors because I have to file a report. So-" Harry cut him off.

"That won't be necessary. I will file the report." He said.

The doctor looked at him skeptically before recognizing him."Of course, Mr. Potter. I will go get Mr. Malfoy's prescription and a copy if the report I wrote up so that you may include that in his file." He said, before leaving quickly.

Narcissa was whispering to Scorpius. Probably promising to kill Ron and to buy him lots of toys and treats. I rolled my eyes. Typical grandmother.

Other than that, it was completely silent in the room. It was a long couple of minutes before the doctor came back. He handed Harry a few pieces of paper, then turned to me and handed me a bottle that was blank except for directions and ingredients. I frowned. Where was the name?

"Excuse me, sir, but where's the name of this medication? I don't see it anywhere." I asked him.

"One of our very own potion masters created it, and it hasn't been released in all the other facilities. The maker hasn't created an appropriate name for it yet, and so it can't go anywhere else yet. We were given special permission to distribute it when needed because one of our own created it. I assure you that it is quite safe." He said. I nodded my head in understanding. "Does anyone else have any questions?" He asked, looking at everyone in the room.

"Yes. I do." Harry said. "This here says that Scorpius was only barely in the classification of being comatose. What's the minimum amount if time for it to be considered a coma?"

"Six hours. And Scorpius was out for about six hours and twelve minutes."

"Alright. Thank you for explaining that to me." Harry replied.

"Will that be all?" The doctor asked once more.

"Yes." I replied.

"Then you may go. Please bring Scorpius back at about 4:30 tomorrow to remove his casts. There is a wheelchair outside that you may use until then." The doctor told us and left.

Nobody did anything for a few minutes. Then Narcissa stood up.

"Well, I will see you back at home. Dinner should be ready when you get there. I was making the dessert when you called, but I asked Twinkie to finish so that I could come down here. I will go finish helping now." She said to us. Then she turned to Harry and Ginny. "Will you and your family be joining us?"

"We don't want to intrude." Ginny replied.

"Nonsense. You are a family of four, correct?"

Harry nodded.

"I insist you come! You all need to catch up! You've been talking about what happened to Hermione. Now you must tell them what's been happening here. I will set a place for you all." Narcissa finished and left, not leaving room for an argument.

"We should go too. We'll have to get the boys before we come over. Can we just floo to the Manor?" Harry said to me.

"Yes. There is only one floo open to visitors, so you all should be fine. A house elf shoos be there to help you to the dining room." I replied.

"Speaking of house elves, what happened with spew? I thought you hated the enslavement." Harry asked.

"First of all, it's S.P.E.W., not spew. Second, I changed the standards once I realized that the elves didn't want to be freed. A lot of them also don't want money. They were okay with vacations and time off though. Narcissa's house elves get four days a month, not including sick days." I answered.

Harry silently nodded before leaving with Ginny. Draco brought the wheelchair in and got Scorpius in it. I out Cassi in the car seat, and we left.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. The Potters came to the Manor and we talked about our friends that still lived in London. The boys talked animatedly, like nothing had happened. We promised to meet up in the next few days, and then the Potters left. We put Scorpius and Cassi to bed. It was very quiet after that. Shortly after, I went to bed as well.

It was a long and tiring day, and I wanted to forget it had even happened.

* * *

**Chapter 14 Teaser:**

"Draco, what's wrong?" I asked him.

He exhales. "On the phone, I told you I went to see my father." I wanted for him to say more, but he didn't.

"Yes. What happened?"

"I got there, and they told me he had escaped."

I gasped.


	15. Chapter 14: The Art of Persuasion

I felt the bed shift, and I knew Draco had gotten up. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. 1:07 A.M.

I sighed. When Draco had something on his mind that he was worried about, he woke up about this time. He would leave the room and begin pacing, trying to solve the problem. Then I would find him and try to help. Most times, we worked out the problem together. Sometimes, though, he felt he needed to solve it on his own. Which is, of course, completely stupid. That was where most of our arguments happened. I wanted to help, but he felt it was a duty to solve it on his own. I could never stay mad at him for it though. He always has good intentions.

I scan the room for him and I spot him on the balcony, staring up at the moon. I stand up and walk up to him. He can't see me, but he knows I'm there.

"Draco, what's wrong?" I asked him.

He exhales. "On the phone, I told you I went to see my father." I waited for him to say more, but he didn't.

"Yes. What happened?"

"I got there, and they told me he had escaped."

I gasped. "Do they know how?" I asked.

"They aren't 100% certain, but they think he was an unregistered animagus. They're basing it on what happened with Sirius Black."

"But why would he choose to escape now? What about the last eight years he has been there?" I asked.

"They also think he managed to teach himself how to change into one while he was there. He had to have a lot of concentration to do that. You know that the Ministry cut back rapidly on the use of the Dementors, so he probably was able to get the concentration he needed."

"He must have wanted out for something, right? What do you think he's going to do?" I asked. He would know his father the best.

He sighed and turned to me. He looked heartbroken and scared, but he also looked determined.

"Do you remember the argument we had about a year ago? I left and when I came back, you told me you were pregnant with Cassi." He said.

As a matter of fact, I did remember. It was one of the worst. We were actually arguing about Lucius. I thought I had gotten through to him slightly. I thought that if we kept going to see him, he might get better. I wanted my children to meet at least one of their grandfathers. Draco felt differently. He told me his father would never change. He said it was too dangerous for Scorpius and me to be there.

Anyway, Draco left, and I knew he just needed to cool off. One of us always did, so we would go for a walk or something like that. He was gone for the rest of the night.

I woke up that morning with a bout of morning sickness I ran through the living room to the bathroom. Draco had been sleeping on the couch and woke up when I barreled through. He followed me in and cautiously asked what was wrong, not sure if I was still upset with him.

I had smiled weakly before replying, "I meant to tell you last night, but I didn't really get the chance. I'm pregnant." Then I gracefully threw up again.

When I had finished, I stood up and stared at him. His face was blank, and he was looking for because he broke into a grin and hugged me.

We talked about our fight and came to an agreement. We haven't had a real fight since then. Spats and bickering, yes. But not any actual arguments.

"Yes. I remember, but what does that have to do with him actually getting out?" I asked him.

"I went to see him that night. I was trying to see if I could see that small difference you had seen." Draco's eyes looked far away. "I could show you in the Pensieve if you'd like. Or I can just explain it."

"Showing me would be easier." I answered.

He walked over to the Pensieve and placed the memory in it. He turned back to me.

"I'll wait here for you. I went in the Pensieve already, before you woke up." He told me.

I nodded and walked over to him. I stared at him for a moment before bending down and touching my nose to the icy, blue mist.

I landed just inside the gates of Azkaban. A man Ina green cloak was walking away from me, toward the prison. I knew this was Draco, so I followed him. He was being led to his father.

We walked in the huge front doors after Draco passed the security test. Then we were led down hallways and up stairs. Many of the cells were just bars, so we could see inside. It was still fairly dark in them. People stuck walked by, trying to get a hold of him. He maneuvered gracefully out of their reach.

The majority if the people in the cells were laying huddled in a corner. Theses are the prisoners that have been here the longest. These are the prisoners that have gotten the Dementor's kiss. These are the prisoners that have given up hope.

We continued walking. When we got to the cell that Lucius was in, we stopped. The guard unlocked the door and let Draco in. I slipped in behind him before the door closed.

"Show me you can change and I can forgive you." I heard Draco mutter under his breath. Then, louder, he said, "Lumos Maxima." The room lit up. I could see Lucius sitting in a corner with a shabby blanket on his shoulders. He had a far away look in his eyes and didn't know Draco was here.

"Father." Draco said.

Lucius flinched. Then he looked up to Draco. He gave Draco an evil-looking grin.

"I knew you would come back. And you don't have the Mudblood or her little brat." Lucius said.

I looked to Draco. He looked like he might explode, but he replied calmly. It surprised me.

"Excuse me, but that is my family you are talking about. I would appreciate it if you would not speak of them in such a manner."

"No, my son. She has led you to believe that. Do you not remember? You once believed that Mudbloods were beneath us, especially her. You couldn't bare the thought of touching one. It could not have been so simple to change. She slipped you something like Amortentia. She wanted revenge on you, and all the Malfoy's. She thinks she's teaching us a lesson." His father spat.

Draco chuckled somewhat darkly. "I'm fairly certain that if she still hated me and wanted revenge, that she wouldn't have gotten pregnant with my kid."

"Don't you see, boy? She is tainting the Malfoy line. It was not long ago that you had the same beliefs as me. Where did they all go?" Lucius asked.

"They were never there. Everything bad I have ever done was an act, or rebellion of course. I wanted your approval, but I never got it. Now that you're here, and I'm not, I can be the person I have always wanted to be. Hermione has helped me with that. All those times you thought you were beating your beliefs into me, I was thinking about how much I hated you.

"I came down here to see if you could change. My wife and I just had an argument over the matter. Guess who thinks you could? Not me. I know that nothing could ever change you. A Dementor could try to kiss you, but they wouldn't have much luck. You don't have a soul." Draco finished, and began backing towards the door.

"Just know this, my boy. I will save you. One day I will be out of here. One day I will get rid of them, and you'll be free of this curse that has blinded you so."

Draco has already out the door. I began to follow him, wondering if there was more to the memory. As if on cue, I left the Pensieve.

I sat with my back against my bedroom wall. What are we going to do? My deranged father-in-law is planning to dispose of me and my children. Which probably means he's going to try killing us in a deranged way. After we are gone, what would he do with Draco and Narcissa?

Draco was back on the balcony, watching the sun begin to rise. I walked out to him and stood beside him. He put his arm around my shoulder. It was a silent agreement that we would just watch the sun rise together before talking.

It was nice. We hadn't watched the sunrise since we were dating. The colors were beautiful. The view we amazing. We could see the colorful reflections off the highest buildings. When the sky began to turn blue, I looked at Draco. He looked back.

"What are we going to do?" I asked the question that was the most prominent in my mind at the moment.

"We're going to the Potters in a little while. We are going to tell them what is going on. We will find a safe place for you, the children, and Mother. I'm sure you could stay there, or maybe even at Blaise's." he told me.

"And you? What do you think you're going to be doing, if I let you?" I asked, suddenly suspicious.

"It's not an option, Hermione. I'm going with the Aurors to help them find him. I know him the best. I have to go with them. You can't stop me." He told me.

I pursed my lips. Of course this was true. I could still try though, right?

"But you need to stay with us. What if he caught you? And you need to keep us all safe. I mean, isn't one of your favorite muggle sayings, 'If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself?'" I tried.

"He won't catch me because I'll be with a bunch of Aurors. And that is one if my favorite sayings. If I want my father caught, I need to do it." He answered.

Shoot. I didn't think of it in that perspective. Next tactic: pleading. If that doesn't work, then form the tears. And it THAT doesn't work (which it rarely doesn't) then he wins. Sometimes, I need these tactics so that I can get him to let me help. This is how I won some of our arguments. It might seem a little manipulative, but I don't want him getting hurt.

I looked at Draco. His face was completely blank. I questioned for a moment if he had even heard me. Then he spoke.

"No, Hermione." He said. His voice as monotonous. He refused to look at me.

Alright. This was my last shot. Usually, he's breaking by now, but he seemed pretty set on this one. I felt the tears start to flow, so I knew I was ready for my last shot. I discreetly tried to maneuver myself I front of him. If I could get him to look me in the eyes, I could win. Or so I thought.

He looks at me. What I saw, really made me want to cry. His eyes were a cold, stone-hard gray. It was frightening.

"Hermione. I said no. I can't take the chance that when he finds me, he'll find you too. And he will find me and try to talk to me again before he uses force. You might not see my logic, but it all works out in my head. You won't be stopping me. And the Potters will agree. You know it." He told me.

I sighed. I did know it, but that doesn't mean I like it! I refused to look at him, in fear they I might see his eyes again. I had settled on a point past his shoulder. He wouldn't have that though.

He spoke softly now. "Hermione, look at me."

I shook my head and the tears started to come back. He put a finger under my chin and turned my head to look at him. I kept my eyes away from him though.

"Please, 'Mione?" He whispered.

I looked. I mean, how could someone not? Especially when that person speaks to you like that! His eyes were soft. Back to how they should be. He just stared at me a moment broke speaking.

"You know I'm not trying to leave all of you. Right? You know that I would never do that, and that I love you all more than anything. Right?" He asked, still holding my chin up.

I nodded. Of course I knew that!

"And you know that I have to do this so that we can all be safe. Yes?" He asked.

I nodded again. This time he pulled me into a hug, which is where I really started crying.

"You might be upset with me right now, 'Mione, but I'm going to fix this. Once this is over, things will go back to normal. I promise. Okay?" He said, still looking at me.

I let out something between a sob and a chuckle before speaking.

"I don't think my life has been properly normal since I got my letter to Hogwarts."

Draco chuckled and replied, "Very true, Love. Very true."


	16. Chapter 15: Narcissa the Matchmaker

**AN: Hey guys! So this chapter was interesting for me to write. It was very difficult, so I hope you like it. Pretty fluffy, if you ask me.. Lol. Anyway, tell me what you think!**

* * *

I sighed. Draco had left with Harry and a few others yesterday afternoon, not long after we came over. Now I'm sitting on the Potter's couch.

Let me tell you how this arrangement works. I'm not allowed to go anywhere. If I get up to go to the kitchen or guest room, I'm followed. I'm followed by Ginny, James, or even Scorpius! I think Draco told them not to let me out of their sight. Which was smart, really.

Narcissa went to stay with a friend in France. The only reason he let her being that she met this friend after Lucius was put in Azkaban.

I can only leave the house if I have a digitize. Ginny will accompany wherever I would like to go. If she has to go somewhere, she calls Andromeda over to stay with the me, or she helps me with my disguise and stays with the kids.

Currently, Scorpius was on the floor playing with some toys. He would look up at me every few seconds to make sure I wasn't going anywhere. Cassi is sleeping in her crib in the guest room. Ginny's boys are in school.

"Hermione, Andromeda's coming over and then we are going shopping!" Ginny called com the kitchen.

I sighed. The next thing I know, Ginny is waving her wand at my face to change my appearance and then we were going to a cafe in Muggle London.

"What are we doing, Gin?" I asked as she dragged me inside.

"We're getting lunch before we go shopping." She replied.

We sat down and ordered our food. We were silent for a little bit. Then Ginny spoke.

"So, Hermione, tell me more about what happened with you and Draco. Tell me something you wouldn't tell Harry." Ginny said, a sly grin in her face.

So that's why she wanted me to get lunch with her. She wanted to talk about the dirty details. I should have known.

"Like what, Gin?" I asked her.

"Like... How Draco first asked you out, or your first kiss with him. Something like that."

"Well, they both happened in the same day. It was a confusing situation. I don't think either of us really expected it."

FLASHBACK

_I walked down the hallway if the Malfoy's villa, looking for Narcissa or Draco. I usually just walk in now that I have been visiting regularly._

_I thought of the past six months. I had gotten very close to Narcissa. It was nothing in comparison to how close I was to Draco though. Sometimes it was a bit to close for comfort. As in, things had gotten really awkward. Although I wouldn't say it aloud, I had begun to have romantic feelings for Draco. And the only reasons I wouldn't say it out loud are because I don't want to ruin our friendship and Draco's ego doesn't need the boost. Anyway, there had been a few weird moments in the last month._

_I headed towards the library, which was where Narcissa spent most of her time. As I passed a section where two hallways meet, something crashed into me. We fell to the floor, me being beneath the object, or rather, person._

_I opens my eyes and looked up. It was Draco. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. I was about to ask him what happened when I found that his lips were on mine. I was shocked, and didn't respond at first. He was kissing me in a gentle way, pleading for a response. When I started to kiss him back, things escalated rather quickly. It became wild and lustful. He coaxed my mouth open and our tongues battled for dominance. A moment later, we broke apart. We looked at each other for a second before he scrambled off and helped me up_

_Draco rubbed the back of his neck and spoke, "Sorry, Hermione. I... er- tripped, and I guess my... er- tongue... er- fell into your mouth." He faintly blushes and quickly walked back the way he came._

_Wait a minute. Draco Malfoy, blushing? And all it took was kissing Hermione Granger? Something must really be up with him today._

_Vowing to figure this all out, I made my way to the library again. This time I walked much slower, still a bit confused by what just happened. When I finally got there, about ten minutes later, I could hear voices muttering through the door._

_I opened the door and took in the scene. Narcissa sat at her usual table, holding a book open. Draco stood on the other side, both palms flat on the table. He seemed flustered and angry. He stormed past me once he saw that I was there._

_I walked in and sat down by Narcissa. She was reading her book again. "Cissa, what's he so upset about?"_

_Not looking up, she said, "Oh I just spiked his morning tea with a bit if love potion." She spoke nonchalantly._

_"Why did you do that?" I asked, shocked._

_"Well, the both of you needed to get a move on. You were both trying to tiptoe around the subject, and it had become rather annoying. I brewed a very minor love potion that would wear off as soon as he kissed the person of his heart's desire, which is you by the way, and poured a bit in his tea." She answered, still not looking up from her book._

_I blinked. Does that mean he feels the way I was beginning to?_

_Narcissa set her book down and sighed. "I don't see why he's so upset. I helped you both realize the other has the same feelings. I saved you months of tediousness. What's wrong with that?"_

_I chuckled. "Well, Cissa, most children don't want their parents becoming involved in their romantic life. I'm guessing Draco feels the same way."_

_"You're right. Help me find him, will you? I must apologize, and two people can cover much more ground." She said, standing up._

_"Of course." I stood up and then we went separate ways, looking for Draco. I had an idea where he was though._

_I climbed the stairs to the second floor and made my way to the balcony window where Draco liked to hide. I stopped in the doorway when I saw him there, looking out the window._

_"She didn't mean to upset you, you know." I said._

_He sighed. "I know. For once, I would just like her to leave me to my own devices though. Don't get me wrong. I know she thinks she's helping, and I love her all the more for it, but I don't need help. ESPECIALLY when it comes to my love life. She seems to think I'm lacking in the romantics department because I haven't had a steady girlfriend since Pansy was psychotically obsessed."_

_"Oh. If she was so obsessed with you, why were you with her?" I asked._

_"It was our entire fourth year. I was trying to make y- er, someone jealous. It didn't work, unfortunately. I knew it wouldn't though." He answered._

_"Why wouldn't it?" I asked him, curious now._

_"Well, we were in different houses. And you know first hand how I was. I mean, I wasn't the most pleasant of people. I was especially rude to the girl though. I think it was probably because of the crush I had on her throughout school that I was so mean to her. I guess I thought that since I couldn't have her, I made sure she thought of me in some way rather than not at all. It's pretty messed up, now that I've said it out loud." He chuckled._

_"So does that mean you were rude to Harry and Ron because you liked them? It all makes sense now! I could see you with Harry, too! It could totally work!" I giggled._

_I watched his face. At first it was total and utter disgust. He stared at me for a few moments this way. Then his face began to morph into amusement._

_"Did Hermione Granger just make a joke about her best friends in a way she wouldn't normally approve of? Quick! We must put this in the record books!" He laughed._

_I laughed too. "It's you. You're a bad influence on me!"_

_"If you're really that bothered, you know the way to the door." He said in mock seriousness._

_We held the laughter in, trying to see who would crack first. It didn't last long, and we both burst with laughter at the same time. We sat next to each other with our backs against the wall and our legs stretched out. Eventually our laughter died and we sat there in a comfortable silence for a few moments._

_"We are going to have to talk about it though." He said quietly._

_He didn't have to elaborate. He meant that kiss. Everything was going to change now, I could feel it. I could only hope it was for the better though. I thought of what Narcissa said about heart's desires. The only problem is they potions aren't 100% reliable._

_"I know." was all I could say._

_""That girl I was talking about, the one I tried to make jealous? Do you know who that was?" He asked, glancing at me._

_I shook my head no._

_"I had a crush on her since the end of first year. In second year, I said something to her that was so cruel, I can never forgive myself. From then on, I knew she hated me. I could see it in her eyes. At the Yule Ball, she was the prettiest girl there. I wanted to ask her to dance so bad, but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't give myself away like that. And she would have said no anyway. Actually, I don't think I ever stopped liking her. Do to have an idea who I'm talking about, 'Mione?"_

_I shook my head no again. What can I say? I may be the Brightest Witch of the Age, but when it came to things like this, I was seriously lacking._

_"'Mione, I think I'm in love with you." He said._

_I felt a blush start to creep up onto my cheeks. He was joking, right? He had to be. I was about to vocalize this when he kissed me for the second time. It was light, and over before I knew it. I felt his breath in my ear._

_He whispered, "'Mione, will you be my girlfriend?"_

_I turned my head slightly to look at him. I searched his eyes for any falsities, but there was none. Instead I found fear, and hope. Emotions I had never thought Draco Malfoy would ever show me._

_I nodded my head, and whispered back, "Yes."_

_He grinned at me, but frowned a minute later. "The only problem is that I can't take you on a _proper_ date until my sentence has been fulfilled. I mean, we could-"_

_He didn't get to finish talking, however, because I had decided it was my turn to kiss him. It was still gentle, but less restrained. We continued like this for a few minutes, until we heard a voice and broke apart._

_"I knew I did the right thing this morning."_

_We looked up towards the door and saw Narcissa smirk before turning around and walking back down the stairs. I smiled. Draco laughed lightly._

END FLASHBACK

"Wow." Ginny said. "That seems so unlike Malfoy."

"You're right. It is unlike Malfoy." I agreed. Ginny gave me an astonished look. "Ginny, we went to school with Malfoy, but I am married to Draco. Draco is who he really is. Malfoy is the defensive shield he puts up when he feels he can't be himself. Draco is kind and loving, while Malfoy is harsh and cruel. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes. Sort of. I think I understand. So, in the last eight years have you seen his 'Malfoy' side again?" Ginny asked.


End file.
